Mumbai Port unveils ₹3,541 cr projects to boost cargo and waterfront growth

Mumbai Port Authority unveiled projects worth ₹3,541 crore, spanning berth upgrades, a marina, connectivity and waterfront development to boost cargo capacity and tourism

Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA) on Thursday announced a series of projects worth more than ₹3,541.29 crore, including berth modernisation, connectivity upgrades, a marina and waterfront developments, as it looks to expand cargo-handling capacity and strengthen non-port revenue streams.

 

The announcements were made during the port's 154th Foundation Day celebrations, attended by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal.

 

Apart from the ₹3,541-crore project pipeline, the authority already has seven projects worth ₹132.29 crore ready for inauguration and 34 projects worth ₹1,354.59 crore ready for foundation stones to be laid.

 

Among the key initiatives are the modernisation of berths at Indira Dock, expansion of cargo storage infrastructure, connectivity upgrades, crude oil berth expansion, solar rooftop installations, surveillance systems and digitalisation projects. The port also outlined plans to develop the Mumbai Marina, a waterfront project aimed at boosting tourism and recreational activities.

   

As part of its asset monetisation strategy, MbPA exchanged operations and maintenance agreements for clusters of berths at Indira Dock. The first cluster, comprising 10 berths, was awarded to J M Baxi Ports & Logistics and is expected to generate revenue of about ₹770 crore over 10 years. A second cluster of 11 berths inside the lock was awarded to M Dinshaw & Co, with projected revenue of ₹217 crore over the same period.

 

MbPA Chairperson M Angamuthu said, “We are the only port where we have that comprehensive or holistic maritime ecosystem or economies thriving successfully.”

 

In FY26, Mumbai Port handled 75.15 million tonnes of cargo, up 9.5 per cent year-on-year (YoY). This was the highest-ever cargo handled by Mumbai Port. The port accounted for an 8.22 per cent share of all major port cargo in India, a 35 per cent market share in iron and steel EXIM cargo, a 15.5 per cent market share in liquid bulk cargo, and a 10.48 per cent market share in coastal trade. The port aims to handle 80 million tonnes of cargo in the near future.

 

Mumbai Port also handles more than two-thirds of India's cruise traffic and receives more than 100 cruise vessels annually. According to Angamuthu, cruise passenger traffic currently stands at around 3 lakh a year and could exceed one million over the next four to five years as supporting infrastructure comes up.

 

A major focus area for the port is the proposed Mumbai Marina project worth ₹470 crore, which officials described as India's first global-standard marina. The project is expected to form part of a larger waterfront development strategy aimed at improving public access to the eastern waterfront while creating new tourism and commercial opportunities.

  Other major projects include ₹940 crore worth of offshore infrastructure development, an ₹800-crore new crude oil berth at Jawahar Dweep, and a ₹350-crore Central Government Office (CGO) complex.

 

As part of its asset monetisation strategy, MbPA will generate lease revenue of ₹498 crore through a 30-year lease of a land parcel spanning 12,670 square metres and ₹302.23 crore through the allotment of a 6,664.3-square metre plot in Wadala on a 30-year lease.

 

Further, MbPA has projected revenue of ₹2,421 crore over 10 years from operating contracts and surveillance.

 

Additionally, addressing the gathering, Sonowal said India's maritime sector had witnessed significant expansion over the past decade through initiatives such as Sagarmala and Maritime India Vision. He said ports, waterways, coastal shipping and cruise tourism were emerging as important drivers of economic growth and logistics efficiency.

 

The minister said India has made progress across shipbuilding, ship recycling, port-led industrialisation, port connectivity and port modernisation. The number of Indian seafarers has risen by nearly 173 per cent since 2014, increasing from 1.17 lakh to more than 3.2 lakh in 2026.

 

“India has become the leading ship recycling nation in the world. Our ports are competent; their turnaround time has reduced to 26 hours, which was 96 hours at one point in time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given us the Maritime India Vision 2030 and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, under which we aim to be the most powerful maritime nation in the world,” Sonowal added.

 

He further said that by 2047, India aims to achieve cargo-handling capacity of 10,000 million tonnes with investments of more than ₹80 trillion.